The meeting room was big and serious, a long table sitting between white walls and glass panels. Raven walked in, hearing quiet whispers. He knew people were talking about him again.
"If he wasn't so talented, he'd be out on the streets."
"Yeah, you're right."
Silence.
The door opened, cutting off their words as he stepped inside.
He knew. He always knew. But he never reacted. Like their words didn't matter.
Then, the door opened again.
A man in his fifties entered, glasses resting on his nose.
Without hesitation, Raven glanced at his phone, lowered it, and gave a perfect smile—the kind that felt warm and welcoming.
"Hello, Mr. Diestro. I'm glad to see you. No—" he corrected himself, voice soft but full of charm, "I'm actually grateful to have you here, our dear client."
The man chuckled. "Hahaha! Mr. Yin, don't joke like that."
"But I'm not joking, I truly appreciate you being here."
He pulled out a chair and offered it to him.
"Oh my, how polite you are."
"No, Mr. Diestro," he repeated with the same smile, "I'm really just happy to have you here."
He took his seat, settling in.
The meeting started, and an employee began presenting a new house project.
"First, let's start with the concept," he said.
"The design includes open spaces, lots of natural light, and smooth indoor-outdoor transitions."
"The outside mixes modern looks with natural materials, making it stylish and welcoming..."
(He pointed at the screen, showing only the material and style and not the actual design.)
Time passed slowly, dragging on. Raven's eyes lost focus. He was bored. But each time Mr. Diestro glanced at him, he was ready. The bright smile returned, showing interest.
It was all an act. An act he had perfected over the years.
Because in this world, talent wasn't enough. You had to wear a mask. A mask that can hide many things—whether it's emotions or even feelings.
And Raven had mastered it.
"Arg, this is really boring no matter how I look at it," he thought, glancing at the client.
He looked bored too. He shifted in his chair, glanced at the clock, sighed quietly.
Others noticed it too—his colleagues, the presenters.
"The client is not interested at all," they all thought, sighing.
But no one knew what to do. Except him. Raven always knew.
He looked around, then made his move. He clapped his hands together, sharp and loud enough to catch everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to him. He took out the architectural blueprints and plans, walked to the client's side, and placed them in front of him.
"Mr. Diestro," he said smoothly, "I think seeing the actual blueprints will help make everything clearer."
(He pointed at a specific part of the design.)
"For example, this layout makes the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces much smoother than the earlier design. The vertical gardens here—" (he tapped the blueprint) "—help keep the house cool naturally."
Mr. Diestro's interest returned. "Hmm... I see what you mean. This makes things feel more real than just looking at slides."
"I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Diestro," he replied, glancing at one of the presenters, silently signaling him to bring the material samples.
But the presenter didn't understand. Confusion flashed across his face, irritating Raven.
With a sharp sigh, he stood up and walked straight to where the presenter was and raised his hand—
grabbing the sample materials himself from the table beside the presenter.
"Tsk," he muttered, passing the nervous presenter, knowing he was doomed because he didn't catch what Raven was signaling.
He couldn't let his real feelings show. Not when the client was watching.
He placed the samples in front of Mr. Diestro. "We also brought material samples if you'd like to see them." He handed them over carefully.
"Woah, this is great, Mr. Yin," Mr. Diestro said, inspecting the samples closely.
"What a fantastic design you have here. The materials feel perfect for the project."
"I'm glad you think so, Mr. Diestro," he said warmly. "We made sure every detail was carefully planned to fit your needs."
He nodded, looking more convinced. "I like it. The structure, the materials—it all works well together."
Raven smiled. "Everything is designed for efficiency. The materials used are durable and eco-friendly. The structure supports good airflow, keeping the house naturally cool."
Mr. Diestro ran his fingers over the samples, nodding slowly. "This is impressive. I see the balance between design and function."
"I didn't make a mistake choosing this company," he added.
"If you'd like, we can arrange a visit to one of our finished projects using these same materials," Raven suggested, "so you can see how it looks in real life."
Mr. Diestro glanced at him, shaking his head slightly.
"That would be helpful... but honestly, I think I've seen enough."
Raven raised an eyebrow, a little confused. But inside, he was thinking, "Yeah, that's right. Let's end this already. I'm done."
"Are you sure, Mr. Diestro?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure. I'm happy with this."
He smiled, sitting back in his chair.
"And I believe this is exactly what I was looking for, Mr. Yin."
"That's great to hear, Mr. Diestro."
A satisfied smile spread across his face. Because the client was happy. And—more importantly—because he could finally leave.
The meeting had started dull, dragging on endlessly. But now, it felt lighter.
And just like that, Raven had done it. Even if some of his relatives in the room didn't like him—at least they had no choice but to respect what he did and would do for the company's growth that would benefit them.
Mr. Diestro stood up, gathering his things. "Well then, I think we're done here."
Raven nodded, already moving toward the exit.
Mr. Diestro shook hands with a few people before turning back to him. "Thank you for everything, Mr. Yin. I look forward to working with you," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.
"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Diestro." He gave him one last perfect smile.
He stepped out, walking down the hallway, leaving the room behind.
Raven wasted no time.
He turned sharply, grabbed his things, and walked straight out—ignoring the whispers that followed him, ignoring the glances from those who thought he had been too forward.
He didn't care.
Because in the end, the deal was done.
And that was all that mattered. Nothing else.
Raven walked back to his office, letting out a deep sigh as he pressed his fingers to his temples. The meeting had drained him, but at least it was over.
He glanced at the stacks of papers cluttering his desk—documents from past meetings, reports he barely had time to review, and the applicant's paper from earlier.
Without hesitation, he called an employee over. "Separate these papers. Keep the important ones, and throw away everything else."
The employee nodded quickly and started sorting through them. Meanwhile, in the background, whispers spread among the staff.
"Instead of calling employees all the time, wouldn't it be easier if he just hired a personal assistant?"
"Exactly! He keeps giving orders, interrupting everyone's work."
The murmuring continued, growing louder among the workers.
Even the employee tasked with organizing his desk heard it, nodding slightly in agreement.
"Honestly, he should—" The employee's words cut off suddenly.
His eyes widened. Something had caught his attention.
The employee's eyes lit up as he held the paper. "He finally accepted someone!" he exclaimed loudly, his voice slicing through the steady hum of keyboards and mouse clicks.
Everyone looked up. Their eyes shifted from their screens to him, surprised—then thrilled.
Smiles spread across the room, wide and genuine. At last, after all the rejection, after all the scrutiny... Raven Yin had officially accepted a personal assistant.
The room buzzed with excitement. It was a small miracle, a break in the storm that was their strict, precise boss.
The employee didn't waste a second.
He grabbed his phone, quickly typed out an email, and hit send.
"Click." The sound of the sent message.
And just like that, ripples of surprise and curiosity spread from one desk to another.
Everyone shared the same thought:
Just who was this person bold enough to work directly under Raven Yin?